Image Processing System for Performing Upper Limit Management of Print Volume

1. An image processing system comprising a server for managing a job issued by an issuer, and an image forming apparatus, wherein, upon accepting said issued job and before said job is processed by said image forming apparatus, said server is configured to (i) specify a usage amount of said image forming apparatus in a case where said job is processed by said image forming apparatus, as a usage amount for said job, and (ii) reserve the usage amount for said job from the usage amount of said image forming apparatus that is permitted to the issuer of said job, wherein when the server reserves the usage amount for said job from the usage amount of said image forming apparatus, said server further stores the usage amount for said job and stores said job in association with the usage amount of said job, and wherein when the server does not reserve the usage amount for said job from the usage amount of said image forming apparatus that is permitted to the issuer of said job, said server requests an issuer of another job stored prior to said job to reduce the usage amount of said image forming apparatus.

2. The image processing system according to claim 1 , wherein when said stored other job is updated, said server updates the usage amount for said job in accordance with said update and allows a difference from the usage amount for said job before update to be reflected in the usage amount of said image forming apparatus that is permitted to the issuer of said job.

3. The image processing system according to claim 2 , wherein when said stored other job stored is deleted, said server returns the usage amount for said stored other job to the usage amount of said image forming apparatus that is permitted to the issuer of said job.

4. The image processing system according to claim 1 , wherein: when said job is requested by said image forming apparatus, said server transmits said job and information indicative of the usage amount for said job to said image forming apparatus; and said image forming apparatus returns a difference between the usage amount of said image forming apparatus in processing said job and the usage amount for said job, to the usage amount of said image forming apparatus that is permitted to the issuer of said job.

5. The image processing system according to claim 1 , wherein when the usage amount for said job is not reserved from the usage amount of said image forming apparatus that is permitted to the issuer of said job, said server requests deletion of another job stored prior to said job from the issuer of said another job.

6. The image processing system according to claim 5 , wherein when a plurality of other jobs are stored prior to said job, said server selects a job of which deletion is requested, in accordance with attributes of said plurality of other jobs.

7. The image processing system according to claim 5 , wherein when a reply to said request is not given from the issuer of said another job for a predefined period, said server does not delete said other job.

8. The image processing system according to claim 1 , wherein when the usage amount for said job is not reserved from the usage amount of said image forming apparatus that is permitted to the issuer of said job, said server requests the issuer of another job stored prior to said job to change a setting of said another job concerning the usage amount of said image forming apparatus such that the usage amount is reduced.

9. The image processing system according to claim 8 , wherein when a plurality of other jobs are stored prior to said job, said server selects a job of which setting concerning the usage amount of said image forming apparatus is requested to be changed among said plurality of other jobs, in accordance with attributes of said plurality of other jobs.

10. The image processing system according to claim 9 , wherein said server determines the usage amount for said job so as to fall within the usage amount of said image forming apparatus that is permitted to the issuer of said job, by selecting a job of which a setting concerning the usage amount of said image forming apparatus is requested to be changed, in decreasing order of the usage amount of said image forming apparatus for each of said plurality of other jobs, and then changing the setting concerning the usage amount of said image forming apparatus step by step in order in which a difference from original setting for the selected job increases.

11. The image processing system according to claim 8 , wherein when a reply to said request is not given from the issuer of said another job for a predefined time, said server does not change setting of said another job.

12. A server comprising: a controller for managing a job issued by an issuer and for executing processing, wherein, upon accepting said issued job and before said job is processed by an image forming apparatus, said controller is configured to (i) specify a usage amount of said image forming apparatus in a case where said job is processed by said image forming apparatus, as a usage amount for said job, and (ii) reserve the usage amount for said job from the usage amount of said image forming apparatus that is permitted to the issuer of said job, wherein when said controller reserves said usage amount for said job from the usage amount of said image forming apparatus, said controller further stores said job in association with the usage amount for said job, and wherein when the controller does not reserve the usage amount for said job from the usage amount of said image forming apparatus that is permitted to the issuer of said job, said controller requests an issuer of another job stored prior to said job to reduce the usage amount of said image forming apparatus.

13. The server according to claim 12 , wherein when the usage amount for said job is not reserved from the usage amount of said image forming apparatus that is permitted to the issuer of said job, said controller requests deletion of another job stored prior to said job from the issuer of said another job.

14. The server according to claim 12 , wherein when the usage amount for said job is not reserved from the usage amount of said image forming apparatus that is permitted to the issuer of said job, said controller requests the issuer of another job stored prior to said job to change a setting of said another job concerning the usage amount of said image forming apparatus such that the usage amount is reduced.

15. An image forming apparatus comprising: a controller for managing a job issued by an issuer and for executing processing, wherein upon accepting said issued job and before said job is processed by said image forming apparatus, said controller is configured to (i) specify a usage amount of said image forming apparatus in a case where said job is processed by said image forming apparatus, as a usage amount for said job, and (ii) reserve the usage amount for said job from the usage amount of said image forming apparatus that is permitted to the issuer of said job, wherein when said usage amount for said job is reserved from the usage amount of said image forming apparatus, said controller stores said job in association with the usage amount for said job, and wherein when the usage amount for said job is not reserved from the usage amount of said image forming apparatus that is permitted to the issuer of said job, said controller requests an issuer of another job stored prior to said job to reduce the usage amount of said image forming apparatus.

16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein when the usage amount for said job is not reserved from the usage amount of said image forming apparatus that is permitted to the issuer of said job, said controller requests deletion of another job stored prior to said job from the issuer of said another job.

17. The image forming apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein when the usage amount for said job is not reserved from the usage amount of said image forming apparatus that is permitted to the issuer of said job, said controller requests the issuer of another job stored prior to said job to change a setting of said another job concerning the usage amount of said image forming apparatus such that the usage amount is reduced.

18. A method of managing a usage amount of an image forming apparatus for an issuer of a job, comprising the steps of: accepting, by a server, said issued job; and specifying, by the server, a usage amount of said image forming apparatus in a case where said job is processed by said image forming apparatus, as a usage amount for said job, said server being configured to reserve the usage amount for said job, wherein when the usage amount for said job is reserved from the usage amount of said image forming apparatus that is permitted to the issuer of said job; storing, by the server, said job in association with the usage amount for said job into a storage device, and wherein when the usage amount for said job is not reserved from the usage amount of said image forming apparatus that is permitted to the issuer of said job, requesting, by the server, an issuer of another job stored prior to said job to reduce the usage amount of said image forming apparatus.

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein when the usage amount for said job is not reserved from the usage amount of said image forming apparatus that is permitted to the issuer of said job, the method further comprises: requesting, by the server, deletion of another job stored prior to said job from the issuer of said another job.

20. The method according to claim 18 , wherein when the usage amount for said job is not reserved from the usage amount of said image forming apparatus that is permitted to the issuer of said job, the method further comprises: requesting, by said server, the issuer of another job stored prior to said job to change a setting of said another job concerning the usage amount of said image forming apparatus such that the usage amount is reduced.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with a program for causing a server to perform a process of managing a job, said program instructing a controller of said server, which is configured to reserve a usage amount, to perform processing comprising the steps of: accepting said issued job; and specifying the usage amount of an image forming apparatus in a case where said job is processed by said image forming apparatus, as a usage amount for said job, wherein when said controller reserves the usage amount for said job from the usage amount of said image forming apparatus that is permitted to an issuer of said job, said controller stores said job in association with the usage amount for said job into a storage device, and wherein when said controller does not reserve the usage amount for said job from the usage amount of said image forming apparatus that is permitted to the issuer of said job, said controller requests an issuer of another job stored prior to said job to reduce the usage amount of said image forming apparatus.

22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 21 , wherein when the usage amount for said job is not reserved from the usage amount of said image forming apparatus that is permitted to the issuer of said job, said program further instructs the controller to request deletion of another job stored prior to said job from the issuer of said another job.

23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 21 , wherein the usage amount for said job is not reserved from the usage amount of said image forming apparatus that is permitted to the issuer of said job, said program further instructs the controller to request the issuer of another job stored prior to said job to change a setting of said another job concerning the usage amount of said image forming apparatus such that the usage amount is reduced.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with a program for causing an image forming apparatus to perform a process of managing a job, comprising the steps of: accepting a job issued by an issuer; and upon accepting said issued job and before processing said job, specifying a usage amount of said image forming apparatus as a usage amount for said job, wherein when the usage amount for said job is reserved from the usage amount of said image forming apparatus that is permitted to the issuer of said job, storing said job in association with the usage amount for said job, and wherein when the usage amount for said job is not reserved from the usage amount of said image forming apparatus that is permitted to the issuer of said job, requesting an issuer of another job stored prior to said job to reduce the usage amount of said image forming apparatus.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 24 , wherein when the usage amount for said job is not reserved from the usage amount of said image forming apparatus that is permitted to the issuer of said job, the program further causes the image forming apparatus to request deletion of another job stored prior to said job from the issuer of said other job.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 24 , wherein when the usage amount for said job is not reserved from the usage amount of said image forming apparatus that is permitted to the issuer of said job, said program further causes the image forming apparatus to request the issuer of another job stored prior to said job to change a setting of said other job concerning the usage amount of said image forming apparatus such that the usage amount is reduced.